Improvement in water-metees



A, B. EDMANDS, 04F-MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

Letters Patent N'o.` 80,714, dated August 4, 1868.|

, uIlVIPItOlEMEST IN WATER-METERS..

tlge nlgctiiltrefant tu iu vthese ttters Flirten ma mating gaat at thesame.,

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: a

Be it known 'that I, A. B. EDMANDS, of Melrose,- in the county ofMiddlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have inventedan ImprovedWater-Meter and Motor; and'I do hereby declare that the following, takenin cennection with the drawings which accompany and formrpart of thisspccificatien, is a description of my invention suilicient to enablethose skilled in the art to practise it. Y y

My invention relates to the eonstructonef that class of water-metersand-motors employing rotary blades or valves, the 4improvement havingparticular reference to the construction and arrangement of the valvesin connection vwith the mechanism for throwing them out against theinner surface of the meter-cylinder and in against the centre-shaft ordrum to which they are hinged.

The drawing represents a watermeter or motor embodyingmy improvement. s

VA shows a cross-section of the same. i i

B, an end View of the valve-shaft and valves, the latter view showingthe seriesof* valve-blades closed against the centre-shaft, and in red4lines their position thrown out from said shaft.' y

a denotes the meter onvalve-case made cylindrical in formand with tightheads screwed lupon its ends.

Intol one side ofthis meter-ease opens the induction-pipe b, and fromthe opposite side leads the eductionpipe c. Centrally within` this caseis a valve-support or drum, el, supported, by means of journals, e, atits opposite ends, in the cylinder-heads, the journals rotating freelyin said heads. Y

Upon the outer surface ofthe shaft d are hinged aps or valveblades,ifgh, which close downinto pockets or recesses, t', in the outer surface ofthe valvesupporting drum, as seen at f, and swing from said drum outagainstthe inner surface of the cylinder, as seen at g h.

When the valves or flaps are closed against the drum'or shaft d, theirouter surfaces are cylindric with the outer surfaces of theportions of`the drum between the blades, as seen at B and at f. Above theinlet-pipe I: is an abutment or stationary wall, 7c,` andthis wall, thevalve g, on'thc opposite side of the inlet-pipe, and the surfaces of thedrum and meter-cylinder embraced between them, form the water-receivingchamber or compartment for the supply of water from the pipe I).

The pressure of the water thus entering the chamber against the valve g,drives said valve rotatively until the outer edge of the next valve orilapf passes by the abutment k, (with which each valve edge makes apractically 'impervious joint,) when said valve fwill be'forced outward,(by positive means,) and its edge shutting against the surface of thecylinder, and passing thetop of the inlet-pipe, the water will rushthrough the inletpipe, back of valvef, and its pressure againstthisvalve will continue the rotation of the drum and its valves. `While thechamber between valvef and wall lr is filling, the rotation ofvalvegwill carry its outer edge beyond the lower portion of outlet c,and the .water will, by progression 'of valvcf, be driven out throughsaid pipe.'

As 'valveg passes beyond the pipe e, it strikes a cam or incline, k,which throws it down against the drum into'its recess or pocket, 1T, andwhile so closed, the outer edge of the third valve h passes by edge ofwall 'c, and

is thrown out, to form between it and wall the water-receiving chamberor bucket, so that as water is thus received into and fills each chamberunder pressure, and by rotation of the chamber thus formedis'discharged, it will be seen that by projecting one of the journals,e, beyond the case, and connecting therewith an indexmechanism, thedelivery of water may be accurately measured, er that by gearing fromVsaidjournal the rotary movement of the drum may be transmitted-'toother mechanism, the water-driven shaft being thus used as a motor. v ll Y New, to carry each valve-blade or flap in succession from its closedposition in its pocket to a position to form a partition from the shaftto the surface ofthe cylinder, or a piston, upon which the pressureofthe water shall act to rotate the shaft, I construct the valves andoperate them as follows.:

At one end of the valve-supporting drum c, I cut away from thesurface-of the drum toward the `journal,

seas te form circular recesses, l, and projecting from each hinge-pin,m, on the side opposite the valve, I form integral with each valve atail-piece or extension, which, as the valve turns on its hinge, swingsround in the recess l, its inner surface matching with or playingaccurately upon the circular surface of the recess. In the end of'thistail-piece I make a cam-groove, n, closed at one end and open at theother, as seen at B. Across each bridge, o, left in cutting out therecesses Z, I also form :t groove, p, and into the opposite ends of eachgroove, p, the two cam-grooves n, on opposite ends of it, ent-er, whenlthe two extensions having such grooves are both thrown round against thebridge, one valve being in such case open' and the other closed.

y Projecting inward from the head' of the cylinder a, in the path ofrotation of the grooves p, is a stationary pin, 1*, located in suchposition relatively to the edge of the wall or abutment, that as soon asthe swinging edge of a valve er iiap,f, for instance, passes this wall,the pin passes from groovep, next to valvef, into groove n of saidvalve, said groove being, when closed, in communication with saidgroove, 11, of valvef.

Groove u is eccentric to pin r, and as drum rotates the pin r, tomaintain its position, has, in moving through groove u, to swing suchgroove round, thereby swinging out the valve or Hap until its edge comesagainst the innerl surface of the cylinder, or rather until its jointededge conies against a shoulder, s, of the drum. When thus brought to astop, the change of position of the valve will have carried the groove nfrom the groove j), with which it last communicated', to the next groovep, in the next bridge, so that as drum rotates, the pin will pass eut ofgroove n into said groove p, from which it will next pass into groove cfvalve g, causing such valve to be swung out, as was valve f, and willthen pass from said groove n into groovcp of next bridge,

thence into groove n of valve h, and so on, the grooves being thusworked in continuation as though but one continuous groove.

By this means the motion oi' each valve is made positive in assumingposition to be acted upon as a. piston by pressure' of the water, whileitis left free from action of the pin as soon as it closes againstthesurfaoe of the meter-case, and is then acted upon-only by thepressure ofthe water until it passes the outlet, and is closed againstthe drum by the incline. l i

It will thus be seen that the constructionv is very simple andinexpensive,not Subjectstovgreat wear or strain, and constructed to actwith accuracy in determining the amount of water owing into andthroughthe meter under pressure.

l claim aI water-meter or motor, made with valve-blades or flaps, hingedto and swinging against and from an axial drum, such blades'beingrotated by pressure ofthe water entering the meter-case through theeductionpipe, and each valve-blade being thrown out from the drum as itsouter edge passes the abutment or-wall, surbstantially as set forth.

A. B. EDMANDS.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS G oULn, J. B. CROSBY.

